Hel
In Norse mythology, Hel is a half-goddess who presides over the eponymous realm of the deadWhile the realm of Hel is usually regarded as being one of the nine worlds sprouting from the world-tree Yggdrasil, some instead interpret it as contained within the world of Niflheim.. She is the daughter of the god Loki and the giantess Angrboða, and therefore the sister of the warg Fenrir and the sea serpent Jörmungandr. She also has a loyal hound named Garmr who acts as the guardian of Hel's gate. In terms of appearance, she has been famously described as having an unusual coloration, half-dark, half-light, which is probably related to the idea that the dead change color when they get to Hel. History The gods of Asgard where apprehensive when they found out about the children of Loki, predicting that nothing good would come out of them considering the nature of their mother, but even more so the nature of their father. As such, the three children where brought before Odin, who immediately tossed the serpent Jörmungandr to the sea in disgust. Fenrir was kept in captivity and taken care of by Týr. The girl, Hel, however, was offered the chance to rule over the realm of the same name, which is the final destination of everyone - human, god, elf, dwarf, giant, etc. - except those who die in combat, as they go to Fólkvangr or Valhalla. While the surviving sources describe very little about Hel, it appears that she is a just, if somewhat rigid ruler. Rather than the place of damnation that the current word "hell" suggests, the Nordic Hel is merely a subterranean worldAlthough it does have its place of damnation, named Nástrǫnd, reserved for those guilty of murder, adultery or oath-breaking. The dragon Níðhǫggr chews upon the corpses of those who are sent there.. The goddess Hel has many mansions and servants to assist her, and it is her responsibility to provide adequate accommodations for the deceased. Additionally, her relationship with the gods appears to lean more towards neutral, as she is neither enemy nor ally. She never directly becomes a destructive force like her father and siblings, even at Ragnarök. However, while her exact role in that event isn't described, it's likely that she aligns with her father, given that he is accompanied by an army of dead souls. Hel's dog Garmr will also be present and engage in battle with Týr, which will result in death for both combatants. Perhaps the most famous indication of Hel's character happens when Hermóðr personally travels to the realm of Hel - a feat which has been accomplished by few living beings, including Odin - to ask the goddess to bring back his dead brother Baldr, since everyone has been weeping for him. While Hel doesn't deny that, she demands it to be demonstrated, saying that if no living thing refused to weep for Baldr, she would agree to return him. An old jötunn - believed to be a disguised Loki - refuses, and so Baldr's soul remains in Hel. Category:Legendary Creatures Category:Demigods Category:Sentient Beings Category:Sapient Beings Category:Living Characters Category:Females Category:Interdimensional Beings Category:Humanoids